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If you're wondering what Scourge of War looks like, wonder no more. Thanks to Alikchi for the video, and also for getting this whole community started in the first place (including thinking up our rather excellent name):

A Quick Start Guide for SoW MP
Getting Started
If you're hosting, you should make sure UDP port 31791 is open.

If you're using the lobby to play, the host will need to first create a room in the lobby. All players should join the room before the host clicks the “Enter Staging Area” button which will take you to the scenario set up room. New players will now be unable to join the game.

If the game fails for any reason and you're returned to the lobby screen, you'll need to create a new room to play.

The host sets the graphics settings (i.e. map and uniform details) for everyone. If you have trouble running SoW on the highest settings, pipe up before we start and we'll change it. Also, the map detail settings seem to dial down to “High” every time you start a new game, so if you want to play at “Best” (with buildings etc.) then you need to set that in the options each time.

Scenario Set Up
Don’t try playing an Army vs Army encounter using the third day OoBs. That’s over a hundred thousand virtual people in all and the game can’t cope.

If you want to impose restrictions on how far you can travel from your general, at what level couriers are necessary to convey your commands and how units appear on the minimap, click on “Custom” as a difficulty setting then change each individual setting.

There is a box marked “realism” but I’m not sure what this does other than override some of your settings (e.g. your max distance from leader setting).

Because Confederate divisions tended to be much larger than Union ones, a simple division vs division battle is unlikely to be an equal contest. Clicking on “balanced forces” will ensure that the same amount of brigades will face of against each other, even if it means a division going against a division and a half.

Playing the Game
Don't Alt-Tab. Alt-Tabbing will pause the game for everyone. The Steam Overlay works fine, though.

“F1” opens an ingame help box which includes useful things like a list of keyboard commands.

The apostrophe opens up the console which can obstruct the use of proper punctuation in one’s courier messages. Just press enter to clear the console and carry on typing the message.

Remember, to draft a courier message you type it so that it appears in the box to the left, then press enter so that it appears in the message to the right. Then click send message for the courier to gallop off with it.

As of now, you can only send one courier per recipient at a time. For example, Ali, TC-27 and I are playing a game. I can immediately send a message to Ali, then immediately send a message to TC-27. I will not, however, be able to send another message to either of them until my initial message is received. I’m not sure whether or not this is a bug.

Mods
If you have any mods activated, it's best to deactivate them before joining unless we're specifically using them.

I strongly suggest installing the textured minimap mod (1mb) that changes the stock historical minimap to a more friendly minimap that indicates where all the roads, woods and farmland are. To install it simply extract it to your Scourge of War folder. It creates a backup of the default minimap. Whether or not you have this installed will not disrupt a MP game.

The OoB mod (1mb) introduces a wealth of different OoBs from the entire civil war. It means that we can play games with more variety in the composition and mixture of divisions and corps. Simply extract the entire folder to your “Mods” folder and activate it in game by clicking on “Modifications” then clicking on the mod’s name (a yellow bar will appear next to it). Every player needs to have this installed and activated to use it in an MP game.

Other
The latest patch introduces new features and new commands (such as the ability to command your troops via a minimap) that due to an oversight haven’t been activated. The files are there you just need to rename two files to get it working properly. The procedure is explained here.

I've raised the issue of our game freezes on the NorbSoftDev forum and Norb has asked us to collect information on it by doing this:

In your sowgb.ini file, add the following:

[Debug]
DbgLvl=2
MPLog=1

This will dump a log file of the MP game packets into your work folder. Have everyone in the game do this this. Now when you play and have a problem. Grab all the files and send them to our support email please.

work/sowgb.log
work/sowmp_*****.log

Two files from each player, the mp logs will grow and need to be manually deleted. So just grab the latest one when you collect them.

or else you can't change the speed of the game (this is singleplayer only).

If you accidently hit the "!" or "¨" key in-game you may get in console mode. Hit enter and continue.

Standard Options (page 2)

Max Terrain Draw Distance: Best

Show Map Objects: Best

Max (...) Draw Distance: 1000 yards

If you are having performance issues, try switching off the off-map trees and terrain, reduce the percent trees showing to 60-70, and/or reduce uniform settings to Medium or High.

MP Options

We usually play with the following MP settings (set by the host for all players)

Custom difficulty

Map Icons Display Level: Bare Map

Max Camera Distance from You: 100

Uniforms: Best or Medium

Show Map objects: Best

Realism: Off

Chat house rules

In-game chat with "x" is allowed just after starting the game. Later use it only if you are standing next to another general (within hearing range). Team chat is "i".

The rest is to be done with courier messages and this is an important part of the fun while playing this game (for me at least).

Couriers

As already mentioned, you can only send one courier to one recipient at one time. There is no way to see if your last message has been received yet. But if you click send and no courier rides away, you know that the prior message is still underway.

Therefore it is of some importance where you and the other commanders are standing. Keep in mind that couriers love to travel on roads even if this means taking a long detour and/or through enemy lines!

Try to put yourself (and subordinates) near roads so you have a fast link to communicate. If there is no road, ride some yards in the direction of the recipient to make sure he gets the orders in time.

If you click on "Free Text" in the courier menu but nothing happens, exit the menu, click the "Go to Me" button and try again. Sometimes this happens when you selected enemy commanders.

Ordnance Supply Train

You should TC it. If not, the train wanders around on roads trying to follow the highest-ranking commander and isn't there where you need it. Keep it close to your artillery, since they will need ammo sooner than your infantry. Your standard artillery gun has 12 rounds of canister shots.

Also if the ordnance train isn't TC'ed, infantry sent to resupply will have a hard time of catching it.

Artillery

Position them on higher ground, in defensive terrain and with a clear field of view.

According to the manual, canister shots are used at 350 yards and less. I thinks its actually less.

Protect your guns with infantry, but if you put a regiment right in front of the guns, the guns have no target sight anymore and can't shoot. So try to position your infantry at the flanks and a bit ahead of the artillery.

I usually order artillery to target infantry, I've never seen much impact when shooting at other guns.

12lb guns are best at close range, 10lb are average, and 3lb guns are best at large distance.

Freezing games

Sometimes we had problems like freezing games. It is not yet fully clear why this happens.

If the game is freezing, try to chat in-game with "x". If all players can chat normally, wait some time, maybe the game will continue again. If all can chat except one player, message this one player in steam to quit the game. Sometimes the battle then continues for the others at least.

As long as you can see the colored stars on the right border of your screen representing the other players, you are still online.

I've set an event for 8pm tonight. Depending on the numbers we could try a versus game, either way I'm looking forward to a nice big engagement (just like the old days) to stress test my brand new router.

During the month of June 1863, Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was on the move to invade the north. The Union army needed a strong defensive position to meet the threat and to defend Baltimore and Washingon. The Pipe Creek line was the proposed defensive position chosen by Maj. Gen George G. Meade when he assumed command of The Army of The Potomac on June 28th, 1863. Read more about The Pipe Creek Line

By July 1st, Meade's Pipe Creek Line was nearly complete with five of the seven corps in position. The line of course had to be abandoned as the general engagement which both Gen. Heth and Gen. Buford had been cautioned not to bring on, was already under way in the town of Gettysburg.

This package will depict the fictional Battle of Pipe Creek had the Union army retreated to the Pipe Creek Line after the fighting on July 1st.

What the package will include:

- Three five mile maps covering The Pipe Creek Line in Carroll County, MD.
- Six single player scenarios covering the battle.
- Three multiplayer scenarios.